West County Notebook, Dec. 7, 2017

SHELBURNE — Spend this evening, Dec. 7, with other West County business owners at Kuklinski Woodworking, 1400 Mohawk Trail, for the final “Business After Hours” networking session of 2017. The event, a program of the Greater Shelburne Falls Area Business Association, is hosted by Tom Kuklinski and Larry and Susan Flaccus of Kenburn Orchards. There will be networking, light refreshments and coupons for Christmas tree discounts from Kenburn Orchards. The cost is $5 for association members, $8 for nonmembers.

Shelburne revisits old-fashioned winter

SHELBURNE — How did people pass the cold, dark days of winter in the years before radio, TV and internet?

The Shelburne Historical Society shows how at a “Winter Past-Times” program Sunday, Dec. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m., in the old Arms Academy, 33 Severance St.

Reba-Jean Shaw Pichette, a museum educator, will let participants explore hands-on activities that children and adults enjoyed during those days, from marbles to paper games and putting on plays. The museum has a good collection of old-fashioned toys and winter toys — including sleds and ice skates. The event is indoors: refreshments and take-home games are part of the fun. In case of bad weather, a snow date is set for Dec. 17.

Shelburne board to hear parking study

SHELBURNE —The Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Monday at 5 p.m. to hear the recommendations of a Nelson/Nygaard consultant on town parking. The board may also vote to allocate state Chapter 90 highway funds for engineering and design of the Deerfield Avenue parking area, behind the former Mole Hollow Candle building.

The study was paid for with a $15,000 Massachusetts Downtown Initiative Technical Assistance Grant to plan for parking that would allow for the growth of both village businesses and apartment rentals.

During the grant application, Joseph Judd, former Selectboard chairman, had suggested building a two-story parking garage with a walkway/ramp leading to Bridge Street and the commercial center of Shelburne Falls. The overall goal is to make the under-used gravel parking area more user-friendly, possibly with lighting, paving and easier access to the village center.

Pot moratorium on Hawley warrant

HAWLEY — A Tuesday, Dec. 12, special town meeting will ask voters to adopt a temporary moratorium on recreational marijuana establishments, as a town zoning bylaw amendment. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

If supported and approved, the moratorium would give Hawley until Jan. 1, 2019 to adopt zoning bylaw amendments that would regulate recreational marijuana establishments. During the moratorium, the town would develop a planning process to address potential impacts of recreational marijuana in the town and to consider the state’s Cannabis Control Commission regulations, which are expected to be released in March.

The town will also be asked to spend $10,000 from the Highway Department Equipment Stabilization Fund to buy a snow plow.

Colrain ‘Blue Block’ to be demolished

COLRAIN — The Selectboard says the long-vacant ‘Blue Block’ at 3 Main Road is to be demolished. The building has been fenced off since Aug. 15, when a dump truck went off the roadway and hit the building, killing the driver.

The town and the building owner Dennis Bourdeaux have agreed in Housing Court that the building should come down, because of public safety concerns. The building is to be examined for asbestos removal this week.